Get a Healthy Weight for Your Child: A Parent's Guide to Better Eating and Exercise, by Brian W. McCrindle, MD, MPH, FRCP(C), and James G. Wengle, MSc. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Robert Rose, Inc; 2005; 301 pages; paperback; $18.95.
Globally, the number of overweight and obese children and their associated health risks is soaring to epidemic levels. This population faces increased risks of early-onset diabetes, heart attack, hypertension, exacerbated asthma symptoms, and emotional disorders. Coincidently, a salient factor is that children are acquiring and practicing eating and activity habits that impact (i.e., promote or diminish) their current and lifetime health. This text informs consumer and professional audiences about the "Healthy Weight Program" that emphasizes overall healthy lifestyle as an overarching strategy to physical fitness and healthy weight. The 4-stage program assesses nutrition and activity levels (Week 1), sets goal and rewards (Week 2), builds goals and rewards (Weeks 3-4), and maintains progress (beyond Week 4). The program uses a number of tools such as worksheets, questionnaires, logs, and scorecards. In fact, the authors feature practical and hands-on strategies such as charts, guided nutrition tours, menu plans for home and restaurants, exercise routines, helpful tips, and practical guidelines for treatment and prevention. Those features certainly enable parents and children to use the book independently or in partnership with a healthcare provider. Conversely, healthcare providers could use the book in clinical, educational, and/or small group sessions.
Chapter 7 "Physical Activity, Weight, and Health" attracts attention with its practical, yet scientific, content about physical activity: (a) value and various settings; (b) types (e.g., daily living, endurance, strength, and flexibility); and (c) energy stores, systems, balance, efficiency, calories, and metabolic equivalents (METs). The authors carefully explain terminology and offer practical examples about how the various types of physical activity convert to METs. The authors further discuss stages of a full-body strength-training and stretching program. They provide specific directions and pictures for each exercise and conclude the chapter with "fit tips" and strategies about choosing enjoyable and appropriate physical activities.
The book is very user-friendly. It features a useful table of contents for the 8 chapters. The chapter formats have large print, bold headings, consistent case studies of 2 families in chapters 1-7, case study of one child's implementation of the healthy weight program in chapter 8, "check the fact" boxes, Q & As, tables, and figures. An example of a "check the fact" box is "Portion Distortion" that states 2 "problems" and 2 "practical solutions." A few examples of tables include "Working Terms: Overweight and Healthy Weight," "Five Facts About Body Weight," and "Five Good Reasons to Limit Processed Foods."
The authors consistently define and describe terms such as calories, energy, vitamins and minerals, and types of nutrients (i.e., carbohydrates, proteins, and fats). In the text, they detail the process of digestion and then provide a graphic that further illustrates that process. There is a simple index and current resources such as organizations, references, electronic citations, and journals/reports that include 2004 dates.
In all, the authors' practical guidelines are based on their premise that overall healthy nutrition and physical activity ideas, information, actions, and habits begin in childhood. These notions and actions set the stage and habits for lifelong lifestyles. Thus, the authors emphasize the preventive stance that integral stakeholders such as parents, children, and healthcare providers must assume. Children must observe, experience, and actively learn/practice healthy resources, role models, and support systems. The authors assert that there are active and creative approaches to influence children's current nutrition and physical activity choices that they adopt and establish into their adulthood.
-Dot Baker, MS(N), RN, CNS-BC, EdD
Professor, Nursing, Wilmington University, Georgetown, DE